STOCKRIDGE, Mass. — William Gibson, 94, a Tony Award-winning playwright best-known for “The Miracle Worker,” the inspirational story of Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan, died Nov. 25 at his home. The family did not disclose the cause of death.
Gibson, whose work appeared on Broadway for five decades, was known for the demanding roles he wrote for women.
Working frequently with director Arthur Penn, he helped make a star of actress Anne Bancroft in the plays “The Miracle Worker” (1959) and “Two for the Seesaw” (1958).
They also collaborated on “Golda” (1977), a critically panned study of power with Bancroft as Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. The author reworked the play into a monologue, which became “Golda’s Balcony” (2003), a popular hit starring Tovah Feldshuh and later a film with Valerie Harper.
Gibson was nominated for an Oscar for “The Miracle Worker” screenplay.
